THOUGHTS

Best advice given to Elizabeth Banks: "You don't get what you don't ask for." What, right now, are you not asking for in your career? In your personal life? Go after that meeting with that agent. Get into that office for the next Avengers. The worse that could happen is a no, right? #askforwhatyouwant

We're continuing our month of THINKing THANKFUL. Did you wake up this morning and say a simple, but powerful, THANK YOU? Or how about Thank You for all the auditions you had last week? A little THANK YOU can go a long way. Remember we are laying the foundation for a new you. Through daily action, purpose and meaning, I think you're going to have a solid foundation.

If you want to tap back into that goodness from last weeks messages, I've got you covered. (Gimme, Goodness!)

I am extremely thankful for the new relationships I've recently made to bring a better and more expanded reach of THINK BIGGER COACHING!

By now, I'm sure you've all heard that I've joined forces with Dallas Travers as a mentor coach to her group of actors.

I wrote this awesome blog about Overcoming Actors Guilt that I wanted to make sure I shared with YOU. My People!

Check it out below.

Do You Suffer From Actor’s Guilt?

I’m very happy to introduce Thriving Artist Circle Mentor DaJuan Johnson. He’s not only a working actor, but he gives other actors mindset tools to kick your career up notch and then some.

This week’s Acting Business Bite features DaJuan’s take on how you can balance your J.O.B. with acting without feeling anxious or guilty, so click here to read it now.

—-Actor’s guilt: the worst right?

I know you want to devote more time to what’s really important to you. What fuels your soul: your craft.

Acting.

But, that pesky little voice keeps inside telling you to focus on tangible things that will make you money — the dreaded day job.

If you relate to the day job struggle, I’ve got a couple of tips to help you get your mind in the game and Overcome Your Actors Guilt so you can get back to doing what you love!

1) Set the tone for your day

When you wake up in the morning, you’re either moving toward what you want or away from it. And you have a choice about which path you’ll follow.

Set aside a solid hour (or just 15 minutes for starters) that you can dedicate to advancing your career. This is your time to get stuff done. Your time can be filled with whatever you like! Examples might include: researching your next move to get on to Quantico, prepping for the new headshots you are taking, rehearsing sides for an upcoming audition or workshop, or maybe sending off emails to your reps. It’s your time!

The key to this hour is remembering that it is sacred. No distractions. Close down your browser, turn off notifications and focus in on you! Set the timer on your phone or use the Pomodoro technique to keep track of this precious you time. Whatever it takes, just do it because you deserve to start your day with what matters most.

2) Step Into The WHY ZONE

I’m constantly asking my private 1:1 clients: What do you want?

Ask yourself this question right this very second. What. Do. I. Want? Why are you doing this?

Doing so is extremely important because it becomes what I like to call your WHY ZONE — your reason.

So when the voices come up (and they will come up) you can rely on your purpose to power through the self doubt. You can stop the noisy chatter by reminding yourself of your WHY ZONE. This can be something as simple as I AM HERE TO ACT or I AM BOOKING GRANDFATHERED. Be bold enough to be clear and specific.

3) Oh, the Guilt.

During your sacred hour, you may notice that the little pesky voice pops up! “Why aren’t you spending more time on your day job?” Don’t worry. This is ok. Many actors in your position have the exact same thought. (I would actually be surprised if the voice didn’t pop up several more times throughout your sacred hour.)

Here’s what you do:

1. Don’t pretend you don’t hear the voice. That only makes it speak louder.

2. Instead, acknowledge it. Assure the voice that you will get back to the other task after this sacred hour. That might sound like, “I hear you and I’m just gonna set you aside for the next 57 minutes.

3. Then, return back to your work. We’re building a practice here. This takes time and discipline, but you can do it.

4) Use the Buddy System

It’s always great to have someone in your corner because setting up a new healthy habit or routine can feel a little daunting. So, who are you accountable to? Do you have a support system in place? Being accountable to another person, whether it’s your coach, an accountability partner, or even an app on your phone, will set you up for consistent action. My 1:1 clients actually send me a daily or weekly progress report. Knowing they have to check in with me is sometimes the extra motivation they need to finally take action.

You can put this practice into place for yourself. Start your own accountability group. The goal is to tell another person what you are doing so that they can keep you accountable. Be very selective about who you choose! Remember you’re setting a new practice here; you want to set yourself up for success by having the right support system in place.

Now that you’ve heard my take on overcoming actor guilt, I’d love to hear your thoughts. How do you put your career first? Share your suggestions in the comment box below this article.